Christian Eckes Bio
Christian Donald Eckes (pronounced “eck-iss”; born November 10, 2000) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado RST for McAnally–Hilgemann Racing. He also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series West. Eckes is the 2019 ARCA Menards Series champion, won the Snowball Derby in 2016, and was formerly a development driver for JR Motorsports and later Toyota.
Early Life and Background
Christian Donald Eckes was born on November 10, 2000, in Middletown, New York, and raised in nearby Greenville, New York. He is the son of George and Darlene Eckes and has an older sister named Erica. Growing up in a region with a deep short-track tradition, Eckes found his way into racing at a young age and began driving Legends Cars when he was thirteen years old.
From those early Legends Cars, Eckes graduated into late model stock cars and super late models, the standard stepping stones for young drivers in the southeastern and northeastern United States. While still a teenager, he enrolled at George Washington University Online High School, a flexible program that allowed him to balance his education with a heavy racing schedule. Standing 180 centimeters tall, Eckes developed quickly in physically demanding equipment and earned attention from professional teams.
Path to NASCAR
Eckes’s move toward NASCAR began in 2015, when he began racing late models for JR Motorsports and super late models for LFR Chassis as part of their driver development programs. The following year, he made his ARCA Racing Series debut at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in April 2016, driving for Venturini Motorsports, and finished eighth. He also added two starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East that season.
He closed out 2016 with three consecutive late model wins, including the prestigious Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway, where he beat fellow rising star John Hunter Nemechek. Eckes was sixteen at the time of that Snowball Derby triumph, an early signal that he could compete against older, more experienced drivers on some of the country’s most demanding short tracks.
Christian Eckes Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
Eckes remained with Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series, running ten events in 2017 and thirteen in 2018. He picked up his first ARCA victory at Salem Speedway in April 2018, holding off teammate Chandler Smith in the closing laps, and added wins at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and Indianapolis Raceway Park. Despite missing seven races, he finished the year with the second-most victories in the series.
In the week after his Salem win, Eckes signed with Kyle Busch Motorsports to drive the team’s No. 46 Camping World Truck Series entry for four races beginning at Iowa Speedway in June 2018. He led his first series laps at Iowa and earned his first stage win at Gateway, finishing his four-race stint with three top-ten results and 38 laps led.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2019)
In 2019, Eckes ran a full ARCA Menards Series schedule in Venturini’s No. 15 car and won the championship with four victories, thirteen top-fives, and seventeen top-tens across nineteen starts. He missed the Salem race in April after suffering an esophageal tear in his trachea but recovered to clinch the title. He was the first ARCA champion to skip a race and still win the crown since Tim Steele in 1997.
During the same year, Eckes made eight starts in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series with KBM’s No. 51 truck, posting three top-fives, including a decisive third-place run at the Homestead season finale. His results helped the No. 51 crew secure the owners’ championship, the seventh overall for KBM.
First full-time Truck year, maiden victory, second full season (2020–2022)
Eckes moved into KBM’s No. 18 truck for a full 2020 campaign. He posted five top-fives, including runner-up finishes at Texas, Kansas, and Michigan, and reached the NASCAR playoffs before being eliminated in a last-lap Talladega pileup. The season also featured a physical confrontation with Ben Rhodes after a fall Texas race. Eckes ended the year winless in eighth place overall.
After being replaced at KBM by Chandler Smith, Eckes joined ThorSport Racing in 2021 for a ten-race partial schedule, finishing inside the top five five times. He earned his maiden Truck Series victory at Las Vegas, passing Todd Gilliland on a late restart and being saved from Ben Rhodes by a caution. In 2022, he returned to a full-time ride in ThorSport’s No. 98, posted fifteen top-tens, and finished eighth in the final standings without a win.
McAnally–Hilgemann Racing Era (2023–2025)
On December 6, 2022, McAnally–Hilgemann Racing announced that Eckes would pilot the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet Silverado in 2023, replacing Derek Kraus. He opened with a third-place run at Daytona, then won at Atlanta and Darlington during the regular season. He swept through the playoff opening round with results of second at IRP, third at Milwaukee, and a Kansas win that featured an outside pass of Corey Heim and Zane Smith after a late restart. He was eliminated in the Round of 8 at Homestead, but rebounded two weeks later with a Phoenix victory and a fifth-place finish in the final standings.
In 2024, Eckes won at Bristol, Martinsville, and Nashville and claimed the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular season championship. He added a second Martinsville win to advance to the Championship 4. The victory was controversial: after dominating both stages, a late caution allowed Taylor Gray to pass him on the restart, and Eckes responded with aggressive moves that also affected Ben Rhodes. He finished third at Phoenix to take third in the final standings behind Corey Heim and champion Ty Majeski. In 2025, he made two starts for MHR in the No. 16 truck, and on November 20, 2025, the team announced he would return full-time in 2026 driving the No. 91 Chevrolet.
Driving Style and Strengths
Eckes is known for his short-track and intermediate-track skill, sharp race craft in traffic, and willingness to use his truck aggressively on late restarts. His ability to manage tire wear and execute clean passes has been a hallmark of his Truck Series work, and his McAnally–Hilgemann Racing tenure has showcased his consistency across a full 23-race schedule.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his 2016 Snowball Derby win, his 2019 ARCA Menards Series championship, his maiden Truck Series victory at Las Vegas in 2021, his 2023 Kansas win, and his two Martinsville victories in 2024, the second of which locked him into the Championship 4 and clinched the regular season title.
Christian Eckes Career Wins
Christian Eckes has built a multi-series win ledger across late models, the ARCA Menards Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His most prominent victories include the 2016 Snowball Derby, four ARCA Menards Series wins in his 2019 championship run, his first Truck Series win at Las Vegas in 2021, and multiple Truck Series victories during his McAnally–Hilgemann Racing tenure.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Eckes has recorded multiple Truck Series wins with McAnally–Hilgemann Racing, including Atlanta, Darlington, Kansas, and Phoenix in 2023, followed by Bristol, Martinsville, Nashville, and a second Martinsville triumph in 2024. He capped the 2024 regular season as the Truck Series regular season champion and finished third in the final championship standings.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his Truck Series success, Eckes owns the 2016 Snowball Derby and the 2016 Myrtle Beach 400 in super late model competition. He was named the 2016 CARS Late Model Stock Tour Rookie of the Year and won four ARCA Menards Series races on his way to the 2019 ARCA title.
Christian Eckes Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Eckes was raised in Greenville, New York, by his parents, George and Darlene Eckes, and he has an older sister, Erica. His family supported his early move from Legends Cars into late model and super late model competition, the path that opened doors at JR Motorsports and LFR Chassis.
Personal Life
Eckes attended George Washington University Online High School, allowing him to pursue his education while traveling the short-track and national NASCAR circuits. He is married and has been in a relationship with Kiley Love.
2025 Season Performance
Eckes’s 2025 season centered on a part-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule with McAnally–Hilgemann Racing in the No. 16 entry, alongside a confirmed full-time return for 2026 in the No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado RST. The lighter slate allowed him to prepare for the expanded Xfinity Series role that was announced for the same year, while staying sharp in the Truck Series equipment he knows well.
On August 31, 2024, Kaulig Racing announced that Eckes would move up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time in 2025, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet. That step made 2025 a transition year, balancing partial Truck Series runs with a full Xfinity campaign.
With MHR confirming his full-time Truck Series return for 2026 in the No. 91, Eckes used 2025 to broaden his résumé and build momentum. The combination of Cup-affiliated Xfinity seat time and a locked-in Truck ride sets the stage for a busy 2026.
